


Whumptober's 2019 "Shaky Hands"

by GatoPepinillo



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Accidents, Child Death, Gen, Minor Injuries, Prompt Fic, Shawn Spencer Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 13:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GatoPepinillo/pseuds/GatoPepinillo
Summary: Sometimes... sometimes it was better not to take the quicker routes.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Whumptober's 2019 "Shaky Hands"

**Author's Note:**

> TW/CW; Non-descriptive death of a minor. 
> 
> I seriously, seriously, seriously don't know where this idea came from or why, but I guess I really just enjoy causing mental (and physical) anguish to my favorite characters. Mostly the mental one, I think. uwu'
> 
> Originally, I had wanted to participate in that Whumptober to its entirety but it was not meant to be. I got one and a half done, tapped out, and never looked back. ('till now) Maybe one day I'll finish and post that second prompt but, ehhh, maybe not. Probably not.
> 
> I didn't really edit this, by the way. Like I did a little bit, but there are definitely gonna be some mistakes and some dumbass weird sentences. I apologize in advance.
> 
> Originally Written: Sept 11th, 2019 (bcuz fuck the rulez)

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Shawn’s day started like it usually did; he woke up, went to the bathroom, pestered Gus via text for breakfast, got dressed and spent half an hour on his hair. (Which looked even better than usual, if you asked him.) Gus didn’t text back until he’d started his hair but Shawn hadn’t even glanced at his phone until he was done. 

Interrupting hair time was just _begging_ for a bad hair day. 

“What?!” Shawn demanded suddenly after washing his hands of gel, gaping stupidly down at his phone. Gus’ text was lengthy and full of unnecessarily large words but he got the gist of it immediately. Gus wouldn’t be getting him breakfast today. Nor would he be in to do anything for Psych. “Man, that’s so not cool Gus!”

As if he could hear Shawn’s exclamation, Gus texted him again. Though this time the message was short and not exactly sweet:

_‘One day of normality,_ please _.’_

Maybe a little wounded, he sent back, _‘How thheck did u make the plz all slanty’_

Gus’ response was just as quick and far more grammatically correct. ‘ _They’re called italics, Shawn_ . _I just need a break, I’ll be back tomorrow I promise.’_

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Gus was back sooner than that, but it’d still been too late. 

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The lack of Gus did not deter Shawn in his usual routine until he got to the Psych office. He didn’t really need to stick around if there was no Gus to annoy for entertainment. That, and they had no cases so there was _definitely_ no reason to head inside and sit around doing nothing. 

Bored before he even started his day, Shawn got back on his bike and debated on what he wanted to do. He fiddled thoughtfully with his helmet until he settled on heading over to the station. Maybe he’d get lucky and get tossed onto a case, hopefully something easy- like a robbery. He wasn’t too much in the mood to deal with something complicated or serious, especially without Gus. 

Pulling the helmet carefully over his head, he knocked his kickstand up with his ankle and pulled away from the office. It didn’t take long to figure out the way to the department was heavy with traffic. It also didn’t take long to find out why that was. 

“A crash,” A random lady admitted helpfully after Shawn knocked on her window. “A pretty big one. The radio just said there were at least _seven_ cars involved.” 

Shawn quirked a brow in response, maybe over playing his surprise. “Wow! That sounds pretty bad. At least it explains all the hold up.” He idly tapped the roof of her car a couple times before he gave her a polite smile. “Thanks for telling me about the accident. Anyone else would have left the window up.” He jabbed his thumb at his bike pointedly and caught the way her lips twitched upwards with interest. “Don’t have a radio on the bike, so, y’know.”

“It can’t be helped.” She agreed in understanding. “I had a bike a while ago and it had a radio, but it always had issues. It either played a music station for kids, some type of Spanish soap opera network, or it didn’t work at all. You can imagine I didn’t use it much.”

“Was the soap called _Explosion Gigantesca de Romance_?” Shawn couldn’t help but ask. When her expression took a turn for the confused he waved the question away dismissively. “Nevermind, not really important. Thanks again!”

He left then, deciding not to pursue anything further. It would have been easy to score some type of date - and probably worth it honestly, she was cute _and_ had owned a motorcycle - but he _did_ want a case to work on. A date probably would have been a good way to distract himself but he didn’t really feel like leading on some girl just so he could pay half attention to her. 

Bike purring underneath his thighs, he revved the engine, waved to the friendly lady, and illegally pulled out of the line of cars. The angry honking of other vehicles was immediate but it wasn't like he intended on sticking around. Instead of waiting for ages in line, he was just gonna take a scenic route. 

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What a _mistake_.

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Not so focused on the world around him as he was on the road in front of him, Shawn almost didn't catch the movement from the corner of his eye. He slowed down a little as a precaution before he craned his neck to look. 

A dog was running down the sidewalk excitedly, tongue lolling and ratty leash trailing behind it like a demented snake. The dog was kind of chasing him but going by the eager glances to his bike and disrupted-by-running tail wags, it had no intention of taking a bite out of him. 

He pulled over to a gradual stop as soon as he figured that out and slid off his bike. Then he slapped his thighs in invitation at the dog, who seemed to double in energy at the playful action. Shawn grinned.

It ran several circles around him before the owner finally caught up, panting and out of breath. " _Ohmygod_ thank you!" The kid, no older than 13, wiped at his forehead and gave the dog a glower. "Thanks for stopping, seriously. She has a habit of going after bikes and usually people just drive faster because they think she's chasing them." 

Before Shawn could open his mouth to reply the boy kept going. "Uhm, not that she isn't actually chasing them but it's not that she wants to attack them. She just gets really excited and takes off. So it's fair they speed up, but still." 

Said excited hound included her owner in on the circling before she gave a low, happy boof and settled down on the concrete. She gave a couple interested glances at Shawn's Norton but made no move to approach it.

His grin didn't dim, if anything it grew wider as the kid continued to ramble. Eventually he put a stop to it with an open hand and a laugh. "No worries, kid. Who could be afraid of a face like that?" He gestured at the dog, who looked at Shawn's hand and then at him. Her tail wagged and she opened her mouth into a doggy grin. 

The kid smiled too, then bent over to pick up the leash. "Word of advice, though?" Shawn offered casually, dipping to give the dog a pat on the head, "Maybe hold on to the leash a little bit tighter- actually," He hummed and jammed a hand into his back pocket. "Maybe just get a good, new leash. Like, the kind with some type of sturdy handle or something. I think that'd help a ton." 

He held out a twenty that the kid balked at. "Uh, mister, I think that's way more than what a leash would be." 

Shawn shrugged. "Buy yourself a snack or two. Consider it thanks for getting to pet her." 

Visibly baffled, the kid accepted the money with a polite nod and tugged on the leash. "Thanks again for not being mad or anything. And the money. C'mon, let's go home Lassy!" 

The explosion of laughter that erupted from Shawn's mouth could absolutely not be helped. That was _amazing._ Now he definitely couldn't wait to get to the station, if only to tell Lassiter!Lassie that he'd found the mans real-life dog counterpart. 

He'd alarmed the kid with his sudden bout of cackling, so it didn't take long for the kid to hurry out of sight. Still smiling, he pulled away from the curb and started thinking about Lassie's likely furious reaction at the comparison. 

Chuckling under his breath, he turned the corner and brightened at the street sign. Give or take four minutes of steady riding, he'd be right at the station at- he glanced down at his watch to check. 

His neck cracked audibly with how fast it snapped back up when he registered the frantic scream. He caught a blur of red from his peripherals on both sides but he was hyper-focused on the mass directly in front of him. 

"Shit!" Turning hard on a bike was always an awful idea but he didn't have a choice. Not if he wanted to hit a _child_ dead on. 

He swerved. 

There was still a piercing wail that made his eardrums ring. Oh, and his bike flipped o- 

Shawn blinked blearily at the cloudy sky not even seconds later. Then he stilled in confusion when he realized there was a strange man leaning over him, hands hovering, like the man didn't know if he should - or could - touch him or not. 

His attempt to sit up was pitiful. He managed maybe an inch before something… _somewhere_ twinged unpleasantly and then the entirety of his body started to throb. Mainly his head. 

Oh. Yeah. Definitely his head. 

He almost tried to sit up again, but this time he was gently pushed back down by the man, who was now holding down his shoulders. "Wh're's my helm't?" Shawn slurred. And _wow_ , how hard did he hit his head? 

"-was shattered and the back of it was cracked. I took it off to get a better view. Sorry about this, kid." 

The stranger reached up with one hand - his left interestingly enough - and Shawn watched it disappear past his face before his head was lifted up a little bit. 

White blew across his vision and that was it.

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_I'm sorry._

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Waking up in a hospital was as confusing as it usually was. Until, of course, he took some time thinking back on _what the hell_ had happened. 

Shawn had met the kid with the dog named Lassie, gave him a twenty, and they both parted ways. Shawn drove off and not long after that he- 

He'd- 

He hit a _kid_. 

With his _motorcycle_. 

Shawn put his face in his hands and swore. 

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_It was an accident._

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He didn't notice when he fell back asleep but the next time he woke up, Gus was sitting in the nearest plastic chair reading a magazine. Shawn felt nauseous when he tried to focus on the magazine itself so he stopped that and looked at Gus' forehead instead. "Hey Gus." 

It came out a little flat but Gus perked up eagerly anyways. "They said they didn't think you'd wake up until after a couple of days. It must mean it's not as serious a concussion as they thought. That's good." Then Gus' eyebrows furrowed into his 'angry' face. "What the hell happened, Shawn? I take _one_ break and you get into an accident? What's up with that?" 

Shawn's throat dried up and he bristled at the accusation. He felt too tired to be mad at Gus, though. "If you think I did it on purpose," He rasped, which Gus flinched sympathetically at. "You would be _wrong_." 

And then maybe his eyes watered a little, so what? 

Gus paused. "Shawn?" 

Dropping his head, Shawn lifted his uncasted hand to wipe at his face. When Gus leaned closer he noticed that _both_ of his friends hands were shaking. 

"Shawn? I don't- what's wrong?" 

When his best friend reached out and put a steady hand on his _stupid, shaking_ hurt hand, Shawn let out a watery laugh because that? He didn't deserve that. Not anymore. 

"I hit a _kid_ , Gus. He was like _five_ and I just- it- it happened _so_ fast." And no one would tell him what happened to the kid either; which really only meant one thing. "Dude, I fucking killed someone's _baby_." How was he supposed to deal with that? 

Gus started to tear up too, as he tended to do, sympathetic crier that he was. "Oh, Shawn." 

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_Yeah, he didn't really know what to say about it either._

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**Author's Note:**

> oof ouch


End file.
